Randall Schmidt

Randall Mark Schmidt was a Lieutenant General in the United States Air Force.Schmidt was appointed to conduct an inquiry into FBI reports that detainees at Guantanamo Bay were being subjected to inhumane interrogation. The unclassified summary of Schmidt's report acknowledges that one high-value detainee was subjected to almost continuous interrogation, for 18 to 20 hours per day, for almost two months. It describes the long-term effect of this interrogation as "degrading and abusive", but that it did not rise to the level of "inhumane". Featured in the 2008 Academy award-winning documentary Taxi to the Dark Side He was formerly the Commander, 12th Air Force and Air Forces Southern, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. Twelfth Air Force comprises seven active-duty wings and three direct reporting units in the western and midwestern United States. The fighter and bomber wings possess 400 aircraft and more than 33,000 active-duty military and civilian personnel. The three direct reporting units, the 3rd Combat Communications Group, 820th Red Horse Squadron and 1st Air Support Operations Group, comprise more than 1,200 personnel. He is also responsible for the operational readiness of 12th Air Force-gained wings of the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard, featuring an additional 18,800 personnel and more than 200 aircraft. As the Commander, Air Forces Southern, a component to the Combatant Commander, U.S. Southern Command, he oversees Air Force assets, five forward operating locations, and civil and military engagements in Central and South America as well as the Caribbean. General Schmidt entered the Air Force through the United States Air Force Academy in 1972. He has commanded a fighter squadron, operations group, three wings and a combatant Joint Task Force. He also served in key positions during tours with the Air Staff, major commands and the Joint Staff. General Schmidt is a command pilot with more than 4,600 hours, primarily in fighter aircraft. He flew